Fragment of an Interlude (?) of Robin Hood

The lines which follow would seem to be part of an Interlude, in which, as in the play just given, the incidents of several ballads are rudely combined. The present fragment is manifestly founded on Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne. We owe this curious relic to a correspondent of Notes and Queries (vol. xii. p. 321), who found it in an interleaved copy of Robin Hood's Garland, formerly belonging to Dr. Stukely, the inventor of the preposterous pedigree of Robin Hood. The Doctor has prefixed these remarks:—"It is not to be doubted but that many of subsequent songs are compiled from old ballads wrote in the time, or soon after Robin Hood, with alterations from time to time into the more modern language. Mr. Le Neve (Norroy) has a large half-sheet of paper which was taken from the inside of some old book, which preserves in an old hand a fragment of this sort. On the back of it is wrote, among other accounts, this, 'Itm, R. S. of Richard Whitway, penter for his house, sent in full payment, jx. s., the vij. day of November, Edw'd iij. xv.'; and in a later hand as follows."

"Syr Sheryffe, for thy sake
Robyn Hode wull y take."
I wyll the gyffe golde and fee,
This beheste thow holde me.

"Robyn Hode ffayre and fre,
Undre this lynde shote we."
With the shote y wyll,
Alle thy lustes to fullfyll.
"Have at the pryke,"
And y cleve the styke.
"Late us caste the stone,"
I grante well, be Seynte John.
"Late us caste the exaltrè,"
Have a foote before the.

Syr knyght, ye have a falle.
"And I the, Robyn, qwyte shall.
Owte on the, I blewe my horne,
Hitt ware better be unborne."
"Let us fight at oltrance.
"He that fleth, God gyfe hym myschaunce."

Now I have the maystry here,
Off I smyte this sory swyre.
This knygthys clothis wolle I were,
And on my hede his hyde will bere.

Well mete, felowe myn.
What herst thou of gode Robyn?
"Robyn Hode and his menye
With the Sheryffe takyn be."
Sette on foote with gode wyll,
And the Sheryffe wull we kyll.

Beholde wele Frere Tuke,
Howe he dothe his bowe pluke.
"Yeld yow, Syrs, to the Sheryffe,
Or elles shall ye blowes pryffe."
Now we be bounden alle in same;
Frere Tuke, this is no game.
"Come thou forth, thou fals outlawe;
Thou shall be hangyde and y-drawe."
Now alias, what shall we doo!
We moste to the prysone goo."
Opyn the gates faste anon,
And [late] theis thevys ynne gon."

, hede.

, folowe.

, elyffe.

, ory the yatn.

, theif thouys yune.